We have been eating a lot of salads this summer. Mostly because it is an easy solution to our weekly vegetable drop, but really because it gets us in and out of the kitchen in record time. And as long as I can cover vegetables in a blanket of protein, D is happy.

My favorite protein in salad is fish. Salmon, tuna, monkfish, you name it, I can probably find a salad solution for it. Because of this, it is difficult for me to walk past the fish monger without stopping in. He must know this, and places all the calamari, clams and shrimp in the front window for me to spy on. Inside is the real gold mine. Wild salmon, lobster tanks, oysters, crabs, pompano, and the catch of the day line the shelves. I can walk up to each fish, sniff, eye and poke at it, then declare it mine.

Tuna is what catches my eye more often than not. It might be its arresting pink hue. It might be that I tease the fish monger about sushi grade tuna just to hear him laugh and say, “You kiddin’? You can’t get any fresher than this!” So I bring it home time and again, wrapped in paper and await mealtime.

This past week, how lucky we were to receive the proper fixings for a classic Salade Nicoise. It is one of my favorites because it is a hearty and playful salad where almost anything goes once you have the basics. D loves it because he can correct my French accent while I practice my pronunciation.

But I think the true love in this salad is the color display. How can you pass up something that looks this fresh?! I say go out and buy that tuna steak now. You will not be disappointed.

The biggest risk you have when cooking tuna steak is drying it out by overcooking. Tuna needs a scant 30-60 seconds per side over hot heat. Remember, this limited cook time leaves the center of the cut rare. As always, when dealing with any sort of protein, buy the freshest cut possible.

To cut down on prep time I slice and boil my vegetables when I bring them home, storing them in the fridge for quick prep or an easy snack. It makes assembling a salad like this a real breeze. It may be some work day 1, but there is nothing like being able to reach into the fridge and have everything done and ready to go. Here are a few tips, some used in this salad. All of these should be stored in sealed, air tight containers.

- Quarter potatoes, boil until soft. Storage time: about 1 week. Pancakes, salads, home fries.
- Trim and blanch green beans, 2 minutes. Storage time: about 3 days. Dip, salads, snack.
- Char red peppers in skillet. Storage time: about 5 days. Sandwiches, omelette, dips.
- Trim and boil beets until soft. Store in reserved liquid, 1 week. Sandwiches, salads.
- Peels and cut carrots. Store in water (change every 2 days), 2 weeks. Snack, soup, salads.
- Wash and cut celery. Store in water (change every 2 days), 2 weeks. Snack, soup, salads.
- Cut corn from cob, saute with butter 2 minutes. Storage time: about 1 week. Salad, soup, omelette.
- Boil and peel eggs. Storage time: about 5 days. Use in sandwiches, salads.

But let’s get back to the salad and this “fusion” I mention. I marinated the tuna steaks in a soy sauce-ginger-lime mixture, coated them with sesame and seared them. This presented a fabulous citrus snap to the salad. I tied the sesame theme into a tahini-based salad dressing (tahini is sesame seed paste). Together the tastes blended smoothly into the whole and create a fabulous play on a traditional salad.

Salade Nicoise
Serving size= 2. Cook time= 3 minutes. Prep time= 15 minutes.
For the Marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lime plus zest
1 glove garlic, crushed
1- 1 inch piece ginger, minced
1/2 cup sesame seeds, set aside on a flat plate

For the Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
10 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red cider vinegar
3 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
salt/ pepper to taste

For the Salad:
3-4 new potatoes, quartered and boiled until soft
1 tomato, sliced in 8 wedges
2 soft boiled eggs
small handful green beans, blanched
1 small head red lettuce (optional)
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon capers
1- 1 lb fresh tuna steak

1) Prepare the marinade. Mix soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, zest, ginger and garlic in a bowl. Set tuna in mixture and marinade while continuing. Set the sesame seeds on a plate, aside.
2) Prepare the dressing. In a small skillet, heat the garlic with the anchovy fillet. No oil is needed as the fish has enough. Heat until garlic turns translucent and anchovies break down. Once ready, place in a bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients until well incorporated. Set aside. Turn tuna steak over in marinade.
3) Wash and prep the vegetables for the salad and assemble.
4) Begin warming a skillet with about 1 tablespoon peanut oil on medium high heat. Remove tuna from marinade and pat dry slightly. Place on plate with sesame seeds and push down slightly so sesame seeds adhere to steak. Flip and press again. Place in pan once hot, cook 30-45 seconds, flip and cook for 30-45 more seconds. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Assemble over salad.

Note: This recipe makes extra dressing. Refrigerate and use it at a later date. It will keep about 1 week. Just bring to room temperature and mix well before use.

As summer pushes into full force, we all know how important it is to stay out of the kitchen. That, or simply keeping the stove off as long as possible is key. With these beautiful days (finally it’s not deathly humid) nobody wants to spend more time than is needed wrapped in an apron, laboring over dishes. With that in mind, in the coming weeks Just Braise will highlight easy, quick cooking recipes.

These past weeks have offered up an abundance of zucchini from my CSA. It is so much that I am almost running out of unique ideas. So much zucchini, let me count the ways I used them: there was grilled zucchini, broiled zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini in salad, zucchini and eggs, pickled zucchini, visions of zucchini soup, and the above, zucchini “burgers.”

I have made similar zucchini pancakes before. It was a great way to get D to eat this vegetable he claims to not like (so far though, the bread, full of nuts and chocolate chips, was the best trick). This time, I bulked the zucchini pancakes up to make them more burger style. Topped with a basic raita (yogurt based sauce) this burger proved refreshing served warm or cold.

What I love most about this recipe is that it can be used in a variety of ways. A frittata was easy with most of the work done– just break apart the burgers over a pan, add eggs, cook and done. Ditto with veggie tacos (on a shell with salsa), a side (or base) for hummus, or a topping in salad.

Veggie Patties
Prep time= 15 minutes. Cook time= 8 minutes.
1- 15oz can black beans (or chickpeas)
2-3 zucchini, 7-9 inches long
1 carrot (also 7-9 inches long)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil

1) Wash and drain the black beans and place in a medium sized bowl. Using a potato masher, crush the beans until they form a paste.
2) Lay out 2 paper towels. Shred zucchini and carrot and place on paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels, pressing down to drain off water from veggies. If you find there is still a lot of moisture to them, repeat process. When they no longer release moisture, add to bowl with black beans, along with garlic, tahini, bread crumbs and egg.
3) Use a hand to incorporate all ingredients evenly, squeezing the batter to check stickiness. Add another egg if you find it is too dry, more breadcrumbs if too wet.
4) Warm a saute pan on medium high heat with olive oil in the pan. Once warm, create patties with hands of the vegetable mixture and place on pan. Cook about 5 minutes, until brown, flip, then about 5 minutes more, until brown on other side. Serve warm on burger buns, bread, cold, or as suggested above.
NOTE: The above photo is bread with olive paste, avocado slices, a veggie burger, arugula and topped with a homemade raita. This raita was a 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup diced cucumber (chopped parsley or mint optional).

D and I recently had some friends over for an intimate feast. We prepared many items we had never attempted before, something I often shy away from when we have guests– there is nothing worse than messing up something you have never attempted before. But cooking, like any passion, is all about trial and error and you’ll never get better without an attempt. All in all, the 5 hours spread ended deliciously well, mishaps included.

All vegetables, and most fruits, were brought to us by our local Community Supported Agriculture program. Each week I am thankful that we have invested in our farm and I proudly brag about “my farmers” who brought me my organic vegetables– just picked yesterday!

This weekend we celebrated the spring bounty.

The evening began calmly as pictured above. I started prepping items 1 week in advance: spanakopita (spinach from “my farm” with local sheep feta), rhubarb syrup (rhubarb from last week’s CSA drop boiled down with water and sugar) and a rhubarb tart (crust prepared and frozen and rhubarb chopped and frozen). The rest was finalized and started the night before arrival…

We welcomed guests C and M with choice of champagne or a strawberry rhubarb “martini.” I like to call drinks served in martini glasses and made with vodka “martinis,” as do most bars and restaurants. I suppose because it makes the drink sound more sophisticated. D is angered by this and claims it is a merely a mixed cocktail if it has no vermouth. Our Strawberry Rhubarb “Martinis” contained rhubarb syrup, vodka, mashed fresh strawberries and were topped with champagne. We also eventually threw some mint in there.

Next was the spanakopita. I received pounds of spinach, amongst other greens last week. S

o much I feared we could not eat it, but didn’t want it going to waste. I could not bare to simply freeze the spinach so bought some filo and feta, steamed and chopped the spinach, added nutmeg, crumbled feta, wrapped in filo and froze. Laborious to wrap individually, yes (a spanakopita pie would have been easier), but well worth it.

An assemble-one’s-own course followed next. I like the idea of the guest doing some work, it allows them to understand flavor combinations you use a little more and how they work together. If they don’t cook, it also makes them feel like they are creating something. You can see the beginnings of this course spread out above: Buttered and toasted crostinis, fig spread, goat cheese and topped with prosciutto.

The fig spread is a treasured find of mine and D’s. We uncovered it in the Middle Eastern section of one of our local markets– the one I can easily spend hours walking down the aisles because they have floor to ceiling goodies from all over the world. This spread hails from Lebanon and has three simple flavors: fig, sesame, anise. It is a fantastic addition to sandwiches, crostinis

and is really a power secret ingredient. It would be simple to make, but at$2 for an 8oz container with such a pure ingredient mixture, why bother? The prosciutto was from a local Italian deli.

We entered the main of our meal. The moment D said C and M would be over for dinner I proclaimed rabbit would be the headliner. I held fast through D’s skeptism. My thought: no matter what produce we would receive from our CSA, rabbit would be a perfect compliment. D still thought it was slightly disturbing to serve “rabbit salad,” so we broke the salad into more of a side.

We wanted the rabbit sweet to compliment the warming weather– a more savory base is fitting for fall and winter. I found a marinade based in orange juice, honey and cayenne which seemed perfect for this. I wanted to incorporate nectarines into the dish and thought to make a nectarine mousse. Unfortunately, as witnessed in the picture above, the mousse never set properly (recipe now in the works). It ended more a thick sauce that we poured over the rabbit and topped it all with crumbled bacon. The salad, red bib lettuce, sugar snap peas and radish were provided by our CSA.

Gluttony followed.

My newest acquisition is an ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid. I’ve been itching for an ice cream maker for a few years now and with a few Am Ex gift certificates in hand, it was a real steal. I went all out and made two treats for this meal. The first was a lemon-lime-ginger sorbet. This was a great sweet-tart intermission though I would add a little more ginger next time.

This was followed by D’s conquest: foie gras.

Let’s just put out that I know both sides of the foie gras debate before we get all the comments coming in. I think Gastronomica Magazine has a great article about it in their Winter 2007 issue. Let’s just say I can rarely afford it so rarely eat it. (But it is delicious.)

At this point my local butcher thinks I am crazy. Each day I go in I discuss and request more from them: free range veal, grass-fed beef, truffle butter, truffles, and this weekend, I asked if they would put rabbits and foie gras aside for me. They know me by site now and if I ask for a simple steak they ask if something is the matter– just steak?

We couldn’t afford the entire “foie” so we split if with one of the butchers who was happy to take home the other half. I asked for his discount, but he denied. Note to self: get in with butchers until discount is granted. D took care of the prep, slicing it in thirds, de-veining, salt, pepper nutmeg, layer, port, cognac, repeat. For whatever reason our most trusted cookbook failed us for the first time when it failed to mention that the foie must sit for a few good hours post-cooking to re-set– many recipes suggest 1-3 days. While we knew some sitting would be necessary, the foie was a little loose when served, still delicious (and is a great topping on salad for a luxurious dinner another night).

Lemon-lime-ginger sorbet repeat and then the finale.

I found a rhubarb streusel tart recipe on epicurious that I knew would be perfect. Not only did we receive rhubarb from our CSA the previous week, D is a big fan of anything with streusel in the name. How can you not love butter and brown sugar? Instead of mixing almonds into the streusel as called for I used the handy new ice cream maker and created my own almond ice cream.

This I believed was my true triumph. Something D couldn’t imagine tasting good– “almond ice cream just does not sound good,” yet he keeps coming back for more and requesting me to churn out new flavors– dare I attempt arugula custard? Not just yet… a cognac creation is next.

MENU:
Rhubarb Spritzer
Spanakopita
Fig-Goat Cheese-Procuitto Crostini
Roast Rabbit w/ Spring Greens & Nectarine Mousse
Lemon-Lime-Ginger Sorbet
Foie Gras
Lemon-Lime-Ginger Sorbet
Rhubarb Streusel Tart w/ Almond Ice Cream

It was an event we had not planned for. We toyed with a grand feast but soon rejected the notion, it would be too much work, our friends work in the restuarant industry and would be occupied, it was too difficult to organize. We dropped it.

But we live in a neighborhood of many Greeks. Many religious folk, both Greek and non- alike. When Easter comes around, there is no stopping the call of lambs… Especially when two Easters fall on the same day.

We had heard stories: walking out the door on Greek Easter, following a trail of red to find it end in a slaughtered lamb being hoisted to the spit. We had seen the evidence: families roasting meats into the night for a celebration of Spring and birth, we could smell it all day in years past.

We retold these events Friday night to some friends, R and T, transplants from New Orleans. They wanted in and with a burst of emotion D invited them over for a feast. We didn’t realize what we had gotten ourselves into.

We pushed our way through the crowd gathered at the butcher to take our ticket and left to shop. We returned one hour later only to wait an additional hour for our number to arrive.

You could see people drooling for the blood: What number are you?

57.

Oh, I’m 80.

No, I’m I-57, see, you’re J-80. You have a long way to go.

He was defeated. But our ticket came up and somehow, we were fooled. We kept saying, just one lamb leg, just a leg. Only two people were confirmed, any more meat would have been too much. Yet somehow we left with half a lamb. A whole half, the right half– we let another customer take the head.

Was it the shopping carts of full carcasses, ready for the spit and our jealousy in their setup that got us buying more than we needed? Was it the utter craziness of people willing to wait hours for a piece of meat? Was it the recent viewing of the film Killer of Sheep? Was it the sly upsell to half a lamb when we saw half a leg and thought it looked a little meager?

We dragged our meat home and examined our bags– what had we done?

I planned the menu while D examined his different cuts and attempted to reassemble the animal. I think that’s a spine, oh look, marrow! These parts in the freezer for soup, random bits for kebabs, separating the chops. The main event was the lamb and the rest of the menu would follow a Greek-inspired theme as well as some leftovers we were looking to get rid of.

We started with a simple and savory appetizer platter. Figs in a Blanket (pictured above) were the highlight. Taken from a Martha Stewart appetizer cookbook my mother sent me. D exclaimed that this was definitely the best recipe in the book (he has never opened the book). These were a huge hit that D added would be our appetizer of choice here on out. We served our kebabs, marinated in a spice mixture and lemon juice and olive oil. A selection of cheeses R and T brought accompanied all this. When R and T entered the cheese shop and told the man behind the counter they were looking for cheese that would pair with wine braised figs wrapped in bacon the reply was, “niiiiiiccccce,” with half-closed eyes and a dreamy look. It was all very nice indeed.

The next course was a “palate cleanser.” Salt and peppered lamb chops quick seared accompanied some freshened up leftovers. I know, that whole “leftover” thing doesn’t sound that great, but it was rich and decadent: D and I bought a duck the other week (pictures to come) and part two of the duck was braised duck legs in red wine. We added potatoes and parsnips to the braise and had plenty leftover. We mashed the wine-infused potatoes and parsnips up, added a good heap of butter and some milk, fresh scallions and voila. A totally decadent side that had traces of duck fat and wine.

The next part of “The Grand Tasting Menu,” as the event was soon called was the lamb legs (plural). Half a lamb gives us 2 legs, both butterflied by the butcher. These were marinated a few good hours in a spice mixture I made heavy in garlic and fresh ground coriander. D seared them on our largest Le Creuset and threw them in the oven for about 1 hour. Served with a simple Greek salad.

We were bursting when the meal ended. Luckily, for all members of the party this was the only meal of the day. Still, when a meal reaches past the 4 hour mark, Gluttony may be knocking at the door.

We took a needed walk where R decided he needed a taco from our beloved man that sells out of a truck down the street. We returned for dessert.

I knew this meal would be heavy and chose a light angel food cake for dessert, baking them in cupcakes and stuffing each one with a fresh strawberry (pre-cooking) for individual servings. While we were on the walk, we decided ice cream would pair nicely with the light cake and picked up a quart. Somewhere along the way, the dessert also jumped the shark (although you could really say the meal jumped the shark with the purchase of the lamb). The leftover syrup from the braised figs was kept on reserve and rum was added with strawberries around the appetizer section of the meal and left to soak. Angel food cupcakes stuffed with strawberries, a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream and a heavy dose of strawberries soaked in a balsamic-wine reduction with rum.

I would say the meal on whole was a long, dreamy, eyes closed halfway nnniiiiiiccccce. We wish we could have shared it with more– although there is a good amount of lamb leftover if you want to bring the wine.

Recipes to follow shortly.

I notice there are far too many sweets on display on this site. It appears we eat nothing but that sweet angel dust. In the next few days I’ll be adding all the delicious porky creations made from the one 6 pound shoulder discussed below.

A few that went without photos:

The first post-roast creation was a delicious sandwich that had no chance at a photograph. Served on hearty Jewish rye bread (any offended excuse the sac-religious combination), Korean pears ( mentioned here ) and a generous smothering of honey mustard. A few minutes in the toaster oven set this to a perfect sweet-crisp combination.

Another hog-a-licious idea was to be pulled pork sandwiches smothered in a hickory BBQ sauce. Instead, we mixed the pork with avocado, lime juice and tomatoes and wrapped them in the tortillas that remained after the pork tacos pictured above. Similar to the tacos, yet a totally new flavor combination and equally delicious.

The pork tacos appearing above are served with a healthy scoop of a black bean mango salsa and a dusting of cilantro. They compete with the chorizo taco from my favorite taco truck down the street.

It goes to show you can eat well on a budget and create a symphony of tastes with the result. There are plenty of dishes that were not created that would be just as delicious: pork fried rice, rice and beans, breakfast hash, hammy macaroni, a number of soups (a rich split pea to come), empanadas, pork dumplings or piradzini (Latvian pork puffs, also to come).

A $20 pork shoulder can take two people far.

This black bean mango salsa is a great summertime side. It is great with the addition of corn and can be used for a number of taco combinations, my favorite being a grilled shrimp.

BLACK BEAN MANGO SALSA
Prep time= about 10 minutes.
* 1 ripe fresh mango, cut into ¼-inch cubes
* juice of 1 lime
* ¼ red onion, cut into ¼-inch cubes
* 1 can low-sodium black beans, washed and drained
* 1 ear of fresh corn, sliced from stalk (optional)
* 8 grape tomatoes, deseeded and cut in quarters (optional)
* ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped loosely (optional)

1) Slice the mango and put it into a medium-sized bowl. The meat surrounding the pit can be squeezed into the bowl. Add lime juice, chopped onion, black beans, corn, tomatoes and cilantro. Stir and serve.

I knowingly had lemon curd for the first time this past summer. I know, a late bloomer for all things delectable. The truth is, the stuff is not in my blood and I am sure my parents thought better than to get me started on another sugar addiction (I already had ice cream and cookies and found Nutella on my own).

D, on the other hand, has curd running through his veins: From his southern pull to his British blood, the boy is practically dripping the goop— and while we’re on it, clotted cream as well. It was when the two of us spent some time in London and around Scotland this summer that D ordered it with gusto and the stuff popped onto my radar. It did not take long for my cravings to begin.

The first tasting was at high tea: scones, clotted cream and lemon curd—oh awake from the dreaming– the sweetest of combinations! How the Brits avoid title as World’s Fattest is beyond me. Upon arrival in Scotland we glutted ourselves on the substance and bought it in gift form for our return (I was informed it’s quite expensive in the U.S., which upon recent investigation found it is in fact, expensive).

We returned with our own little curd booty. Despite attempts of opening the sacred jar, it remains, stashed in the cupboard for a rainy day when the scent of scones fills the apartment.

A few weeks back when a whopping lemon meringue pie graced the table, I hadn’t the slightest notion that the filling I produced was, more or less, a curd. Sure, it was custardy, but when I think “curd” images of cottage cheese and sour milk fill the void.

In the attempt to work through an over zealous fruit purchase, images of vanilla custard clouds with mountains of fruit undulated through the sky. But as I searched for recipes, none caught my fancy. Instead I found this recipe for lime curd on epicurious.com and was shocked back to Britain. I prepared this little concoction. Let’s just pretend this is a healthy way to enjoy this stuff.

FRESH FRUIT TART
Serving Size= 6 persons. Active time= about 30 minutes. Inactive time= about 2 hours.
* walnut-graham cracker crusts (below)
* lime curd (below)
* fresh fruit topping (below)
* fresh mashed walnuts for topping (optional)

1) Just before serving, fill each walnut-graham cracker crust ramekin with lime curd (this will prevent the crust from becoming soggy).
2) Top with 2-3 large spoonfuls of fresh fruit mixture.
3) Can be served with a dusting of freshly ground walnuts, a splattering of heavy cream, fresh whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream or a light cookie.

THE CRUST
* 5 graham crackers
* 1/3 cup walnuts
* ½ stick butter, melted

1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) Combine graham crackers and walnuts in food processor or blender. Process until grainy. Add melted butter, process until well combined.
3) Press graham cracker mixture around the edges and bottom of 6 ramekins. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes, until edges turn golden.
4) While crusts bake, begin the lime curd (below).

THE LIME CURD
* ½ cup sugar
* 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
* 4 large egg yolks
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1-½ teaspoons grated lime peel

1) Add sugar, lime juice, egg yolks and butter to a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk to combine. Set lime peel in a heat-proof bowl aside.
2) Cook over medium-low heat until thick, smooth, and just beginning to bubble, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes.
3) Remove from heat and strain into bowl with lime peel. Stir to combine. Cover with plastic over the surface of the curd and refrigerate until cold; about two hours. (Can keep up to 1 week.)

FRESH FRUIT TOPPING
* ½ cup fresh blueberries
* 1 cup fresh Bing cherries, quartered and pits removed
* 1 mango, sliced into chunks
* 1 Tbl lime juice
* 1 Tbl sugar

1) Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Let set for at least 10 minutes before assembling tart.

Tags: fruit tart, fruit, mangoes, cherries, blueberries, lime curd, dessert.

I was never too fond of potato salad growing up; the same goes for coleslaw and most macaroni salads. Often heavy with mayonnaise, I felt true flavors were hidden under a thick suffocating whiteness. I grew tired of finding a good, let alone perfect, potato salad, and my life of avoiding the tot began.

People accused me of being anti-carbohydrate. It simply is not so! I would proclaim. I love baked potatoes, bread, and most every carbohydrate there is. Then there was a jab that I was a food snob. Okay, maybe a bit. But it is when the wet white blanket covers my pure fare that I cringe and must walk away, head bowed low in a quiet, mournful state—that pastiness just sticks to my mouth too readily.

Being a frequenter of BBQs and returns to the Midwest does not help matters. Some sort of mayonnaise-based salad is always happy to make an appearance. It is not that I cannot give new foods a try, but I follow a mantra that the lesser the mayo the better.

One day, my good friend A showed me the light.

I sat at her aunt’s home for a wholesome Lebanese-American Thanksgiving. It was complete with hummus, flat bread, ful, turkey and a bowl of Lebanese potatoes. For once, I saw a potato salad where, surprise upon surprises, the potato shown through. One bite, and I pocketed this recipe with delight.

It is the lightness of the salad and ease of preparation that draws me back to this dish again and again. I have made it for others with the same promising accolades; it is simple and delicious. Below I have spruced it up by adding green peas. The brightness of these peas gave the red potatoes a sensational contrast. For those who are have fought off one too many mayonnaise dripping salads, now is your chance to bring the potato back to flavor.

LEBANESE POTATOES
Serving Size= 6-8 persons. Active time= 10 minutes. Inactive time= 2 hours.
* 8-10 small red new potatoes, washed and cut in half
* 1 bunch parsley, washed and chopped
* juice of 1-½ lemons
* 1 cup peas, lightly cooked (optional; not traditional, but good)
* 1 bunch scallions, chopped whites only
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 4 Tbl olive oil
* salt/ pepper to taste

1) In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Run cold water over to stop cooking and begin cool down.
2) In a medium sauté pan, flash-cook the peas with a small amount of water, about 4 minutes until peas turn dark green.
3) Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until cool, about 1-½ hours.

The sticky heat making its way through the east coast brings me memories of the south. Even though the most south I have been is the northern reaches (Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida), I hold images of sweeping porches, ice cold lemonade, rocking chairs and the tales of my Georgia-living friend. Complementing these images is the lemon meringue pie recently whipped up and rounding off the stereotype, I’ll add today’s fried green tomatoes and cayenne shrimp.

This simple meal kept us out of the kitchen, with the longest moment being the wait for the oil to heat up. It has already been repeated this summer, and will be made many more times for sure—it’s too easy and delicious not to indulge. The heat of the shrimp is cooled by the sweet tomatoes and when served with a cold white wine, this meal is perfection. The combination would stun eaters into awed delight on a sandwich (with the addition of arugula, avocado or perhaps some spicy mayonnaise or mustard).

So while I anxiously await my own tomatoes to ripen on the vine (I spied them yellowing at the edges today), I’ll enjoy these greenmarket finds.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
Serving Size= 2 persons. Active time= 15 minutes. Inactive time= 8 minutes.
* 2 large green tomatoes
* 1 cup 2% or whole milk
* 1-½ cups flour
* ½ Tbl paprika
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp pepper
* vegetable oil

1) With a sauce pot, or deep skillet, on high heat, fill oil 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Slice the tomatoes into ¼-inch thick discs.
2) Place milk in one shallow bowl and flour, paprika, salt and pepper in another.
3) Dredge the tomato slices in the milk. [At this time you can start the Cayenne Shrimp; below]
4) Once oil is hot, transfer tomatoes to the dry ingredients and coat both sides. Transfer to oil and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes each side.
5) Remove the tomatoes from the oil once done and transfer to a paper towel covered plate. Sprinkle with a little more salt/ pepper and serve.

CAYENNE SHRIMP
Serving Size= 2 persons. Active time= 8 minutes.
* 1 pound large fresh shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
* 1 Tbl butter
* ½ Tbl cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp celery seed
* juice of 1 lime
* hot sauce to taste
* salt/ pepper to taste

1) In a large skillet on medium-high heat, melt butter.
2) When nutty smell of butter comes out, add shrimp and toss in pan to coat
3) Add remaining ingredients and toss again to coat.
4) Cook shrimp about 3 minutes each side, until pink and curled.

There is no doubt the French can cook. Grant it, one can say this about most any people, but I take a special leaning towards French cuisine.

I began learning French in elementary school, in part, because I loved French food– A food snob before I knew it, one of my favorite restaurants was La Boheme, an upscale bistro. To encourage my love of all things French, whenever my family traveled, my father stalked out the local French establishments (hotels, restaurants) even with his abhorrence to it all. I would walk in and grandly correct his forgotten Spanish-esque pronunciation of a French word so that all could hear me, the French-spewing-girl-wonder.

Finally my family went to Paris. I attempted to disassociate myself from my rambunctious brothers as they hollered and tumbled through parks, museums and grand avenues. I believed myself to be of more noble blood, I spoke French afterall. Appalling to the masses (mostly me), in broken Spanish my father would ask for directions: “Whatever, it’s close enough, just change an ‘e’ to an ‘a’!”. Of course, this did not help his love of the country, nor the Frenchman’s love of Americans and they promptly tuff-tuffed their way out of the situation.

“Um, moment!” I ran after countless groups. In what I believed to be perfect (though limited) French, I asked for and repeated directions that were offered with accolades for my fabulous accent.

In restaurants when my younger brother wanted butter I taught him the word and made him ask for it. I checked us into hotels. I owned France—I was a sixth-grade Francophile.

In junior high school I met a girl who’s father was French—and a chef. Worlds collided and I latched onto her. Our friendship survived but my desire to learn the language was extinguished when three horrible high school language teachers dissuaded me from fluency. I thought the girl could cook and might teach me some skills, but was soon disappointed when I found her greatest feats included boxed cakes and microwaves (still pretty good). Regardless, we remained friends.

In the end, I still love the French and the food and can mangle my once-perfect accent into a phrase or three. I tell myself I will take a language course, a French cooking course, move to Paris… In the meantime, having D’s fluency in the language helps my lack of it, knowing how to read a recipe fills the cooking course gap, and the desire to step on a plane and move to France at the moment can be filled by my local (and reasonable!) French restaurant.

This recipe is a play on the classic Vichyssoise (I have added Swiss Chard). It is traditionally served cold and is surprisingly easy to make- the perfect summer soup.

VICHYSSOISE
Active time= 20 minutes. Cook time= 40 minutes. Inactive time= 2 hours.
* 4 leeks, whites only
* 1 large bunch of Swiss chard
* ½ bunch of parsley (optional)
* 6 russet potatoes
* 6 cups chicken stock/ broth (or vegetable)
* 2 cups cream (or milk)
* 2 Tbl unsalted butter
* salt/ pepper to taste

1) Coarsely chop the leeks (whites only), Swiss chard and parsley. Chop the potatoes into 1-2 inch chunks.
2) In a stock pot on medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once warm, add leeks, Swiss chard and parsley. Cook until wilted, stirring occasionally; 8-10 minutes.
3) Add potatoes and chicken stock; cover. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 30 minutes; or until potatoes are soft.
4) Using a handheld blender (or carefully in a blender in batches) purée the soup. Add cream, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until cold. Serve garnished with parsley.
NOTE: The pink over the soup pictured is sea salt.

Don’t forget to check out Kalyn’s Kitchen for a little WHB action.

In non-food related news Eat Stuff is back with WCB! Below we have Whisky pictured with a stuffed dog. This could be wrong on many levels, none of which I want to investigate.

Summer brings a new culture onto the streets of New York City. It lives and breathes the pavement and it waits out the humid days for the cooling nights, begging for a release with rain. People move from their cramped apartments onto stoops, lawn chairs, handball courts, public pools, beaches, parks— even an air conditioned store to roam aimlessly for a cool down.

I walked home the other day and witnessed my neighborhood in a new light. Every winter we tightly latch ourselves into our undersized apartments, bundled under blankets and layers of clothing. I begin to forget the people that live in my neighborhood– that I pass everyday on the streets– that I ride the train with into Manhattan while we forget where we are and where we are going. As summer’s heat finally hits hard, the close quarters are too much and private life blends into public.

My neighborhood is a multicultural whirlwind of ethnicities and personalities. A perfect microcosm of New York City, I can walk two blocks in one direction to restock my sheesha; two blocks in the other for the best gyro in the City (or the best frappe according to the New York Times). I can go to the Mexican bodega for $1 tamales on the weekends, the Bangladesh deli for a fresh mango smoothie, or the Indian bakery for fresh gulab jaman. The list continues into the night.

But what emerges in the summer holds more than the variety of stores I relish. It is a look into the lives of others. Purple-haired women drink orange soda as their granddaughters regale their waning days of the school year. A group of kids playing soccer in the streets knock their ball too close to a passerby. A mother sits on the stoop as her son practices handball against their brick building. Young girls seek out the icy man for fresh coconut ices. Neighbors rehash old ties, friendly waves cross intersections, the weight of clothing is reduced, it is summertime and the people are happy.

The heat draws people out of their home physically and mentally. Each day I pass the local bargain shop and spy the cheap charcoal grills, waiting for the perfect time to purchase the one-season specialties. Spending time in the kitchen is cut short as the heat of the oven is viewed as sin. Hamburgers, quick chickens, easy seafood and of course, ribs, are easy on the mind because they lend us the notion of lazy-weekend-outdoor-eating with friends and loved ones.

With that said, I justify yet another round of ribs (pork this time)—perfect for a 4th of July BBQ. This one is dripping tangy citrus flavors off the chin with every bite. It is a thick and chunky sauce, loaded with freshness that screams homemade. It is something to impress friends with and all too easy to make. D believes the sauce recipe is too heavy on tomatoes, but I think it sits perfectly on the ribs— with that said, do what you will with the quantity.

CHORIZO-LIME BBQ RIBS
Serving size= 4 people. Active time= 35 minutes. Inactive time= 1 hour 20 minutes
CHORIZO-LIME BBQ RIBS
* 5 pounds pork ribs, have the butcher crack the bone but do not separate the ribs
* Chorizo-Lime BBQ sauce (recipe below)

1) Preheat oven to 400F. While oven is warming, begin to prep sauce ingredients below. Place rack of ribs on a large oven-proof baking sheet with a rim, cover with tinfoil. When oven is ready, place ribs on center rack for 15 minutes.
2) As ribs are baking, finish up the sauce on the stovetop. The sauce should be ready around the same time as the ribs in the first part of the baking process.
3) Remove the sauce from the heat and the ribs from the oven (once the 15 minutes are up). Lower oven temperature to 350F. Remove tinfoil and generously coat the ribs with the sauce. Cover with tinfoil and return to the oven for 1 hour.

CHORIZO-LIME BBQ SAUCE
Serving size= 4 people. Active time= 30 minutes.
* 7 ounces, about 4 chorizo links, diced small
* ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
* 2- 6 ounce cans tomato paste, no salt added
* juice of 3 limes
* 1 cup cider vinegar
* 2 Tbl molasses
* 2 Tbl spicy mustard
* 1 Tbl favorite hot sauce
* ¼ cup water
salt/ pepper to taste

1) In a sauce pan on medium heat, warm the chorizo and cilantro until the cilantro wilts and aromas escape, about 3 minutes.
2) Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Coat ribs and bake or enjoy as extra dipping sauce on the side.

Head on over to Kalyn’s Kitchen to catch this week’s WHB roundup!